Bulacan State University

City of Malolos, Bulacan

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in

E501 - Foundation of Education

Submitted By

Janice Ann J. Caigas

MAEd Filipino, 2024

Submitted To

Dr. Leonora de Jesus

Professor

May 2024
 Table of Contents

Contents Page Number

Table of Contents 2

Introduction 3

Research Methodology 4

Findings 5

JHS Special Programs: A Call on 4-5

Existentialism
Standardized and Performance Tests: An 6-7
Implication of Realism
Conclusion 8

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 INTRODUCTION

“Diwa, Dangal, Dunong” – the major educational benchmark of Marcelo

H. del Pilar National High School (formerly known as Bulacan High School) has been

its key belief in harnessing its youth since its inception in 1903. It currently holds

13,000 students from Junior High School and Senior High School and 250 teachers

and counting. From its original location in 1903 to its current home in Sta. Isabel,

Malolos, it has surpassed insurmountable adversaries – with accolades contributing

to its glory and fame enough to hold the title of being the largest high school in

Bulacan.

The Junior High School implements five special programs endorsed by

the Department of Education which are the Special Program in Science, Technology,

and Engineering (SPSTE), Special Program in Journalism (SPJ), Special Program in

Foreign Language (SPFL), Special Program in the Arts (SPA), and the Special

Program in Sports (SPS). The Senior High School was added in school year 2016-

2017 and offers Academic, Technical, Vocational and Livelihood (TVL), Arts and

Design, and Sports tracks. Under these tracks are the various strands, namely:

Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS), Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM), Accountancy, Business and Management (ABM), Arts and

Design (AAD), Sports, and different TVL specializations. Both JHS and SHS offer

Open High School Program to expand access to basic education. The number of

enrollees grew from a few 87 to 227 pupils during the school year 1903-1904.

(Wikipedia) The sudden influx of students paved the way for MHPNHS (Marcelo H.

Del Pilar National High School) to take pride in producing graduates with impeccable

mind (Diwa), honor (Dangal) and intellect (Dunong).

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 Above all the merits and prestige that Celo graduates from years ago

have brought to the table, one immaculate question comes to mind – what resilient

educational foundation has nurtured its roots enough to grow brimming branches of

today?

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This paper is intended to present substantial evidence on the best

practices done at Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School that are relevant to the

philosophical foundations of education. The writer consulted contemporary published

reports from the Internet and written historical inputs from the Aklatang Gabriel

(MHPNHS Library) to propel this research. Apart from the gathered records of people

and events, personal experiences have been employed to augment the need to

support proof of the current best practices used in school. Short interviews were

conducted to justify the ongoing managerial and administrative solutions that have

been proven to be worthwhile of interest and outcome; thereby establishing a firm

stronghold of the best practices that are still operational up to this day.

FINDINGS

JHS Special Programs: A Call on Existentialism

Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School adopted five special

programs endorsed by the Department of Education which are the Special Program

in Science, Technology, and Engineering (SPSTE), Special Program in Journalism

(SPJ), Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL), Special Program in the Arts

(SPA), and the Special Program in Sports (SPS). The Special Curricular Programs

(SCPs) “have been designed to enable students to understand their strengths,

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pursue their interests, and develop their multiple intelligences (DepEd Memorandum

No. 149, s. 2011).” These Special Curricular Programs (SCPs) aim to provide high

school learners with a foundation for a career pathway that is aligned with their

interests and aptitudes. In context, if the student is taking Special Program in the Arts

(SPA), the Celo student’s TLE will focus more on animations, comics and visual arts

that will eventually be useful when the student seeks to proceed with Senior High

School and he shall choose the strand for himself. So, how is this related to

Existentialism? Existentialism is a school of philosophy that “focuses on the

importance of the individual rather than on external standards” (Johnson et. al.,

2011, p. 93). Furthermore, answers come from within the individual in an existential

classroom, not from the teacher. This is because each student is granted to perform

judgment according to his own liking and inclination to a certain hobby or field.

Learning is self-paced, self-directed, and action through self-discovery is the main

aspect of this practice. In Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School, students

choose what piques their interest, discover that within themselves, develop the talent

and utilize it for their future.

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Standardized and Performance Tests: An Implication of Realism

Realism is a philosophy which emphasizes that “reality, knowledge,

and value exist independent of the human mind” (Johnson, 2011, p. 89). In

MHPNHS, there are at least 250 teachers on average per year. This includes JHS

and SHS, respectively. As realists view the subject expert as the source and

authority for determining the curriculum, teachers hold the power to gauge a

student’s capacity through standardized testing. Celo learners already got used to

having tests from time to time since DepEd holds periodic assessments including the

Regional Diagnostic Assessment (RDA), the Regional Achievement Test, the

National Achievement Test, school-based exams such as Periodical Tests, Midterm,

Finals and even quizzes. In the standpoint of realism, the application of the scientific

method also allows individuals to classify things into different groups based on their

essential differences.

Performance Tests or Performance Tasks on the other hand is any

learning activity or assessment that asks students to perform to demonstrate their

knowledge, understanding and proficiency. Performance tasks yield a tangible

product and/or performance that serve as evidence of learning. Unlike a selected-

response item (e.g., multiple-choice or matching) that asks students to select from

given alternatives, a performance task presents a situation that calls for learners to

apply their learning in context. (By Jay McTighe – Defined Learning). Since each

task is accompanied with clear directions and appropriate scoring tools, (i.e.

checklists, rubrics, rating scale, etc.) it can therefore help learners demonstrate their

learning.

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 In a nutshell, standardized tests and Performance tasks have been

proven to be best practices of the school to determine a learner’s depth of

understanding, as much as how Aristotle also believed that everything had a purpose

or function.

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 CONCLUSION

To conclude, philosophical foundations of education shape the way we

approach education especially at Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School. Since

Realism have their roots in the work of the ancient Greek philosophers: Plato and

Aristotle, they are more conventional, reserved but still very efficient in determining

learner’s depth of knowledge. On the other hand, Existentialism is a much more

contemporary school of thought. Having a mix of old and new techniques in teaching

have been found to be effective productive and reliable.

REFERENCES

Wohlrapp, H. (2014). The Concept of Argument: A Philosophical Foundation

https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=cPQsBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=P5

&dq=philosophical+foundation&ots=6mGfhMT9fQ&sig=9mAp5R6ojI6nEVJ0XCno7S

XWCw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=philosophical%20foundation&f=false

Chapter 4: Foundational Philosophies of Education

https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/dellaperezproject/chapter/chapter-3

foundational-philosophies-of-education/

Taylor, H. (1952). The Philosophical Foundations of General Education. Teachers

College Record, 53(9), 20-45.

https://doi.org/10.1177/016146815205300902

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